Intoxicating
by DunkinDonuteer
Summary: Well... this is a bit of a strange beast. Combination of a Zia x Kid romance, and a hurt/comfort of Zulf. You'll see. MAJOR GAME SPOILERS PLS DO NOT LOOK IF YOU DO NOT WANT THEM. This is my first time writing one of these, so please give reviews and such. Danke.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Author's Notes:** Hello. Just to let you know, this is the first story I've ever written.

I honestly hope it's good.

But... I can't say for sure. It's one of the reasons I've thought on and off about writing this.

But I decided to try. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Please review, and don't go easy on criticism. I need advice more than ever.

Cheers.

**_oOoOoOo_**

Zulf had gotten over the depression. He'd just gotten bored now.

He tried to hold a grudge against them longer, for everything they'd done against the Ura...

But the more he looked at em', sitting by the fire, the more he realized he couldn't.

Ever since Kid hit the Evacuation option, Zulf hasn't been lookin' too good. Only person that understood him was Kid's squirt. He looked at the squirt, wondering if he'd know what he was going through. He just looked back at him with that curious wide-eyed expression they always wore when they weren't angry.

He felt bad for not joining them. Haven't they done enough? Kid saved his life, even after he sent about two hundred Uras after him. Rucks never tried to continue the calamity, all of his efforts were to try to recover what's left. And Zia... she hasn't even spoken to him or bothered him since she introduced herself.

He sat up. He should at least check up on 'em, at least talk to them, just so he could get the guilt off his chest.

As he walked towards the fire, he faked a small smile. Zia gave a genuine smile back. Kid stopped talkin' to Rucks to see what she was smilin' at, only to give him a grin. Rucks just crossed his arms and looked at him, expecting some sort of apology.

Zulf sat down and looked from face to face, trying to think of a proper way to break the silence.

"... Hi."

Kid's grin went down to a smile and nodded. Zia gave a small laugh and responded cheerfully. "Hi."

Another small silence ensued, broken only by Rucks.

"So... What made you decide to come out here?"

He eyed Zulf in a suspicious way, trying to decide whether to keep a hold of a grudge or not.

"Well..." Zulf said, trying to place his words carefully. "I feel guilty. For not repaying you for everything you've done for me, not even in common courtesy. I've been a bitter racist, for assuming that both of you supported the 'final solution' ... I'm sorry." He looked at the ground after the last sentence.

A larger silence ensued. Rucks seemed like he was thinking it over. Suddenly, he smiled.

"... Ahhh, I forgive ya. And personally, I wanna say I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. All three of you." He looked at Zia and Kid, who were now holding hands. Then he looked back to Zulf.

"I was a fool. I thought the Kid would restore the place. 'Cause that's what I wanted. Thought that was what he wanted too." He shook his head, motioned Zulf towards the both of 'em. "It wasn't."

Zulf looked at them holding hands, confused. Were they... dating? To be fair, he hadn't really kept in touch, and the four of 'em have been travelling for a while now. But he hadn't expected such a big event to have gone under his nose.

"So... you two are..?"

"Yep." said Kid, with a grin. "For about a week. It was... sudden, but we pulled it off." He looked at Zia, who gave a smile back.

"Right." Zulf said, trying to piece things together. "So, how did it start? What's the... well, story behind it?"

Rucks clapped his hands and laughed, which made Zulf jump. "So, you want a STORY, huh?" Rucks gave him a toothy grin. "Y'know, I got some experience tellin' stories, and this one's a good one!" Rucks lightly punched him on the shoulder as a show of excitement.

Zulf rubbed his shoulder. He wasn't as tough as when he was younger. "Yes actually... I'd like a story." He gave a genuine smile, hoping he wouldn't regret this.

"ALRIGHT! Let's get started! So... let's start you off somewhere familiar. Right when you got here..." As he begins the story, Zulf relaxed. This didn't turn out too bad. Everybody seems happy. He was glad he decided to sit down, and glad they accepted him with open arms.

And, he wasn't bored anymore. Which was a plus.


	2. Chapter 2: The Rise

Kid fell to the ground, bruised and abused. That was alright, he's toughed stuff like this out before.

What I didn't expect was Zulf droppin' in with 'em.

I ran over, checked their hearts. Still beatin', thank the gods.

Picked Zulf up and ran. Kid's gone through this kinda stuff before, Zulf never has.

Soon as I set him down, I told the Kid...

"Hey, Kid..." Sure enough, Kid toughs it out and tries to push himself up.

Difference here is he falls.

"Get up, Kid." He tries again, but no go.

Kid's startin' to make me worry.

"C'mon, that ain't funny. I said get up."

Kid starts to pull himself up, gets on his feet.

"That's more like it."

Kid gets used to it, hustles up real quick...

"Now... set that shard into the monument there. Then we'll talk."

Kid sets the shard in, and I see the place light up.

"The Bastion... it's finally finished." Kid closes his eyes, tryin' to conserve the drive he's got left.

"Now... There's somethin' I want you to see." Led him down to the soul of the place, got out of his way so he could take it all in.

"Welcome... to the heart of the Bastion. I ain't one for long good-byes, so here's the deal. Zia and I figure you done the heavy-liftin', so you get to do the honors. We can tell you how to work this thing if ya got any questions."

Kid looks at it, but not for long. He's ready for it t' be over. Couldn't agree more. He treads on over to me, and I give 'em a smile.

"Good to see ya." He gives me a smile back. I tell 'em like it is.

"You can undo the Calamity, here and now... Go on, Kid. ... And before I forget... thank you."

Then, Kid asks me somethin'. Rarely speaks unless somethin' big is on his mind. Then again, this ain't the most simple choice Kid's had to make.

"If you could go anywhere, would you go back, or somewhere else?"

I think about it for a second. "I always wondered what the Motherland was like..." I fancy the thought for a bit, then snap back out of it. "... Not that it matters anymore."

Kid walks on over to Zia, givin' me a chance to rest. I start wonderin' what the Kid's gonna choose. All this time, I was thinkin' he was just gonna restore the place. Maybe I was wrong.

Question seemed like it was on his mind. Then again, maybe he was just tryin' to get both opinions.

Was I steerin' him too much? In where I wanted to go?

Then Kid interrupts my train a' thought as he runs up to make a choice. Looks like he knows what he's doin'.

Kid hits a button, and I feel the ground shake and rise. Then the four of us lift off, headin' for the haven above the clouds.

I couldn't understand why he made the choice. And yet I could.

Kid led a hard life back in Caelondia. And now he had friends that understood him better than anyone had in the past.

And maybe that was it. Maybe he didn't wanna live in the past. That's what I wanted to do.

We were above the clouds now, and the Bastion was slowin' down. Zia and the Kid were lookin' over the edge, admiring the sights. I walk up to the both of 'em, lookin' over as well. Both of 'em have never seen heights like this, so I let 'em enjoy it. The silence and the view.

...

Eventually, I spoke up.

"Oh, mother... and here I figured you'd had enough of me by now."

Kid kept on lookin'. Usual for him.

"You coulda undone the Calamity itself. But instead, you wanna stay... in a world like this."

...

"I gotta admit Kid. I ain't yet put much thought in that idea. But carryin' on... with you, here... ... We can't go back no more. But I suppose we could go... wherever we please. ... And if anyone's left out there... I sure would like to see the look on their faces. When we dock this thing right on their doorstep."

Kid kept lookin', though he did smile at the thought of it.

"Gettin' ahead of myself though. I'm gonna need a first mate. What do ya say?"

Kid looked like he was thinkin' about it. Like there was much to think about.

He turned to me and gave me a nod. I gave him a grin and a pat on the back.

Zia offers to make us somethin', and while I'm not that hungry, Kid never ain't. Then again, if you work like he works, who can blame ya.

So Zia and Zulf get to cookin, and me and Kid get to plannin'. By the time we get to eat, sky's already a mix of yellow and teal, and the sun's just leavin'.

I'm the only one who doesn't wolf it down, and they all got their reasons. Zia's got a song she's gotta get out, and she can't do that while her hands are holdin' a bowl of stew. Kid's just hungry, and Zulf... well, he just had a bit of an anti-social spell, and didn't feel too comfortable around us.

I savored it though. I gotta admit, the duo were good cooks. Even the exotic stuff was excellent.

We all finished up, and the Kid blacked out a few minutes after he handed in the bowl. He usually does, and after a battle like the one he had, I wouldn't expect anything otherwise.

I toss a blanket on the Kid. Givin' him some warmth. Start ponderin' sleep myself, but I decide against it. I don't sleep when I have somethin' on my mind.

Zulf and Zia find their places to sleep as well, and I wait a bit for them to get some shuteye, before takin' control of the Bastion.

I was goin' somewhere. To relax, and get my thoughts in order.

Good thing the three of 'em are heavy sleepers.


End file.
